Cedars-Sinai Physician Groups Receive Top Scores

The California Association of Physician Groups once again bestows its highest “Elite” ranking for quality on two groups of physicians

Los Angeles - June 7, 2013 - For the fourth year in a row, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group (CSMG) and Cedars-Sinai Health Associates (CSHA) have been awarded the highest possible designation for quality care recognized by the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG), a professional organization representing the state’s leading managed-care groups. The two Cedars-Sinai physician groups each received four out of four possible stars in the 2013 Standards of Excellence survey of coordinated patient care, once again achieving "Elite" status. Both are ranked among the top 37 physician organizations in the state.

CSMG and CSHA volunteered to participate in the annual survey of 84 physician organizations that provide care to 11.6 million patients in California. The program measures quality and affordability of healthcare services of the member physician groups.

“We’re very pleased that both our physician groups have earned these high-level distinctions on an ongoing basis. We see it as strong validation of our efforts,” said Thomas D. Gordon, chief executive officer of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Network, the umbrella organization for the two groups. “At the heart of everything we do is our dedication to providing the highest quality of care and service to our patients and to improving the health of our community. We never stop looking for better ways to achieve that, and this survey helps us to keep on track.”

The Standards of Excellence survey, now in its seventh year, helps set the bar for healthcare consumers to evaluate a physician group’s performance. The tool tabulates medical group infrastructure in various domains, each influencing a different aspect of care. The domains include care management practices, health IT, patient-centered care, and accountability and transparency.

The two physician groups "have set rigorous goals and standards for themselves that serve as a model for others to follow,” said CAPG’s president and CEO, Donald Crane. "Year after year, they reach this highest level of excellence."

Cedars-Sinai Medical Group comprises 120 physicians, who serve more than 20,000 health maintenance organization and more than 95,000 fee-for-service patients. Cedars-Sinai Health Associates, a group of nearly 700 doctors in private practice, provides healthcare to nearly 23,000 HMO patients in the Los Angeles area. Both are affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.